The Core - The Indian Core

Grappa GRCD4254 ****Kanchman Babbar (fl), Kjetil Møster (saxes), Fateh Ali (Sitar), Erlend Slettevoll (p), Steinar Raknes (b), Prasenjit Mitra (Tabala) and Espen Aalberg (d). Rec. date not statedCurrently, The Core are the most exciting and powerful live band in jazz. Their combination of visceral energy and virtuosity is capable of moving mountains, and although recordings are a poor substitute for live performance, The Vision hints at the kind of emotional highs the band can reach. Blue Skies was an acknowledgement that on record at least, their approach might be construed as one dimensional. So too The Indian Core, a world jazz collaboration with Indian musicians which on numbers like ‘Slo Fox’ or ‘Ull Raga’ balances jazz and Indian music in a way that neither reverts to type, but creates its own musical space. On ‘Punjab Blues’ Core revert to type a little with some powerful playing that is, for me at least, is the essence of this band. Stuart Nicholson

This review is from Jazzwise Issue #114 to our full section and receive a Free CD Subscribe Here...